Chapter 3 #2
“Bullshit, but that’s fine, we have time. Lots of time. I have a spare room if you want to stay with me. If not, please let me pay for your hotel.” His phone starts to buzz in his pocket. He pulls it out looking, he blows out a breath, hits answer, holding it to his ear. “Ricky.”
He watches me as he talks to… I guess my brother. “Of course, Carbon didn’t tell you shit. Frankie is real good at dodging shit he doesn’t want to do. Look, I am sitting across the table from a lovely young woman who it turns out is my daughter.”
Based on Hanger’s statements, I have deduced that Carbon is the hottie at the clubhouse that I am panting over. Apparently, his real name is Frankie… some version of Frank… Francis?
“Her name is Harlow, but she prefers Harry. Dunno if you remember Pam—” His head nods. “Yeah, she was a bitch. Seems like that continued on.”
His eyes meet mine. “She can only stay another day.” His hand runs through his hair. “Portland. We can—yeah, we will.” His head bobs. “Alright, talk later.”
He hangs up. “You staying with me? Or a hotel?”
“You.” Well… I guess that’s that. Didn’t really consider that, but if my gut says yes, then here we go.
He smirks. “Great, let’s go get your shit.”
When my stuff is settled into Hanger’s house, he shows me around including pointing out a couple pictures with Ricky in them. He holds a framed photo out to me. “This is Ricky, Paul, and Meadow.”
My eyes move over my brother’s smirking face.
We have the same coloring, his eyes look a bit darker, more like our father’s.
He clearly favors tattoos like I do, and his partner Paul, apparently known as Wally, does too.
Meadow looks sweet as pie. She has on a cute blush pink leather jacket in this picture, and I know we are going to be friends.
I love girlie girl style. She is stunning, no tattoos that I can tell. “They are a good-looking group.”
Hanger beams at me. “They feel like they’re all mine. For a bit there I pulled back like a shithead, I didn’t really get it—the group thing—but then Wall took after me in the club and it was the kick in the ass I needed.”
“Took after you?”
“Wallaby is the Secretary. Which he took over for me when I stepped down. Mint is our Treasurer. Actually, you met Carbon our Sergeant at Arms. Do you know what any of these roles are?” He looks down at the picture in my hands with a smile.
“I don’t. I know what MC’s are and the debatable legalities—no judgement—but not much else.” I shrug. “I have several clients that are various club members, one wears a vest that says… uhm… Enforcer?”
“Yup, that would be a role too. For our chapter, that position is a man called Mouse. They run security and shit. So, Ricky basically does the books. Wally keeps the notes.” I can tell he is giving me the simple versions.
“And Carbon?” I tense at having asked, it feels weird to ask because I’m worried, he will see I am attracted to the man—I get the impression that would not be welcomed.
“Sergeant at Arms, a lot of times we just call it Arms, but he basically manages people. Disputes in the club, the prospects. That sort of shit. It is a real shit job, gotta be tough as fucking nails for it. Carbon is a good fit. Our last guy, the one I served with, Junkyard, he owns and operates a cemetery.”
“Well, that would be handy.” I lift my brow at him.
He laughs. “You like the macabre shit, don’t you? Ain’t got no problems with death, even if you are a pretty one.”
I smile, dipping my chin to hide it. He sees me. I shrug. “I guess.”
“Baby girl, you are home now,” he says quietly.
My head jerks up to stare at him, insides clenching. That damned burning is back in my eyes.
We spend the rest of our time together, talking about the club, talking about what he did for work—HVAC—and him being brutally honest about some of his life fuckups. I am already sold on this man and feel closer to him than I have to anyone besides Roxy—period.
When I go home, I already have dates that he and Ricky will show up, and I tell him he can give Ricky my number.
I talk to Hanger daily on the phone, he even has a chat with Roxy, she is over the moon excited for me.
She may also have whistled when I showed her his current picture, the one I snapped of us together before I left.
He had me send it to him so he could have it too.
When they come for a visit, I notice how much Hanger appreciates Roxy’s pretty looks, and I can see Roxy panting after him.
So much so that I corner my—whoa, almost said dad—I corner Hanger and threaten him.
I make sure he knows that Roxy is my whole fucking world and that if he hurts her, I’ll kill him.
He just patted my cheek with pride and said, “Definitely my kid.”
Mint and I end up hitting it off. I also really like Wally and Meadow, they tagged along, and I am glad they did. For the first time in my life, I feel like I have a family, which is weird as fuck.
Within a couple months Roxy and I move to San Jose. She gets a job with the county hospital system, and I take over a station in one of the guys from the clubhouse’s shop. Shit falls into place. Mostly.